Business News & Views

Ben Franklin’s MBA Oath

Is it necessary for us to agree that management is a profession before we can have a meaningful discussion about creating a “code” of business ethics? Maybe not. Consider America’s first code of business ethics, that contained in Benjamin Franklin’s Autobiography. Written in fits and starts over the years leading up to Franklin’s... [Read more of this review]

Case Study: Setting Up Shop in a Political Hot Spot

The CEO of a watchband manufacturer considers opening up a factory within a “safe zone” in North Korea, but is it too risky? This fictional case study will appear in a forthcoming issue of Harvard Business Review, along with commentary from experts and readers. If you’d like your comment to be considered for publication, please be... [Read more of this review]

Could an Indian Hospital Help the U.S. Cut Health Care Costs?

Reverse innovation, a concept introduced in a recent HBR article, occurs when an innovation developed in a poor country turns out to have broad utility in the developed world as well. Executives mistakenly equate reverse innovation with product innovation, but in fact it can involve process, commercial, or business-model innovation. Another mistake... [Read more of this review]

Redeeming Yourself After a Leadership Disaster

Editor’s Note: The following case is based on real events observed by the author in his profession. Some of the details have been changed to protect the identities of those involved. It could happen to anyone. A mercurial client e-mails her long-time account coordinator, issuing new demands and intimating repercussions. Seeking guidance, the... [Read more of this review]

Put Your Employees First

Vineet Nayar, CEO of HCL Technologies, Ltd., explains how inverting the management pyramid leads to superior organizational performance. He is the author of Employees First, Customers Second: Turning Conventional Management Upside Down.  Read More →

The Culture of Speculation And The Failure of Financial Reform

Even as President Obama signs the mammoth financial regulation legislation designed to prevent another economy-busting meltdown, banks are already gaming the proposed regulations to generate new profits. For any business or nonprofit seeking to make serious changes in organization, the financial reform legislation is an abject lesson in what not to... [Read more of this review]

Apple’s Real Achilles Heel

Herewith, the second in a series of posts discussing a new agenda for capitalism. To get the most out of it, a gentle suggestion: please read last week’s first, if you haven’t already. Enjoy!! * * * So, does your iPhone 4 work? Its antenna issue, some say, including Consumer Reports, points to Apple’s various weaknesses: arrogance,... [Read more of this review]

Two Ways for Organizations to Learn From Each Other

Nokia’s IdeasProject features visionary and influential thought leaders on communications technology. In this clip, John Hagel of Deloitte’s Center for the Edge suggests two often-overlooked ways to facilitate rapid learning and growth. First, Hagel says, examine your relationship with your top business partners to see if both of you are... [Read more of this review]

A New Tool for Understanding Sustainability Drivers

I normally write about companies navigating their way toward sustainability, covering topics such as how to save money or drive green innovation. But I like to step back periodically and look at why companies need to go green. Besides the inherent business logic of creating value by getting leaner or innovating to solve customer problems, what are the... [Read more of this review]

Medical Entrepreneurship: A New Movement to Accelerate Cures

There is a new social entrepreneurial movement afoot, which seeks to find cures to some of the world’s most challenging diseases. Medical entrepreneurship is, in my view, the very best hope we have for accelerating the pace of finding medical cures. A good example and arguably the pioneer of this movement is Michael Milken’s Prostate Cancer... [Read more of this review]